None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Cancer patients/survivors have complex care needs beyond daily living assistance. They need a range of medical and allied health services as well as support for their daily living. The purpose of the study is to implement a pilot intervention of a practice nurse-led home care package administration aiming to improve your functional status, health-related quality of life, experiences of care and health service utilization. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you have have cancer have previously had cancer and are receiving home care services. Study details All participants have equal chances to be allocated to Group One or Two. Group One will receive additional support and ongoing monitoring from a practice nurse. Group Two will continue to receive home care services as usual. Both groups will continue with usual medical and nursing care. It is hoped that this study will help determine whether additional support is beneficial to those who have cancer or have survived cancer.
Interventions
Participants allocated to the Group One will receive the practice nurse-led home care package administration model of care, which consists of the following components: (1) it will link the home care package provider (the case manager of the patient’s current home care package) with the practice nurse who will be involved in the comprehensive assessment and planning of assistance suitable for the participants; (2) the practice nurse will review the patient’s home care needs through their indepen
Participants allocated to the Group One will receive the practice nurse-led home care package administration model of care, which consists of the following components: (1) it will link the home care package provider (the case manager of the patient’s current home care package) with the practice nurse who will be involved in the comprehensive assessment and planning of assistance suitable for the participants; (2) the practice nurse will review the patient’s home care needs through their independent evaluation of the patient in clinic or by phone monthly, or when requested by the patient or the case manager of the patient’s home care package to provide appropriate assistance for new needs detected; (3) the practice nurse will establish coordination mechanisms with the participant’s regular general practitioner or other institutions and professionals according to the patient’s needs; (4) the practice nurse will also organise telehealth with relevant health professionals through telephone proactive follow-up when needed. The intervention components are offered concurrently with ongoing assessment and review, which are planned to continue for 4 months. Practice nurses will be asked to keep a log about the frequency with which various coordination strategies are used and the perceived effectiveness and satisfaction with the strategies. Specifically, the log will keep a record of number of contacts with the patients or their home care providers, duration of each contact, concerns discussed, and advice provided; time spent on liaising with patients’ general practitioners and allied health professionals; and other issues arising from the intervention. The log will help check on compliance with the study protocols, as well as the feasibility of the intervention.
Sponsors
Rosemary Bryant Foundation
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Primary purpose
Treatment
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Patients will be eligible for the study if they: (1) receive a Level 3 or Level 4 Home Care Package (2) have a past or current cancer diagnosis (3) live within 20km radius of the enrolled general practice (4) are able to understand and give informed consent
Exclusion criteria
(1) Institutionalisation or change of residence to an area not covered by the study (2) Hospitalisation for longer than seven days in the month prior to the intervention period, except for terminally ill patients who are readmitted for disease stabilisation and symptom control, as part of their usual process of care. This criterion is established in order to avoid the influence of hospitalisation interventions on outcomes (3) Cognitively impaired or highly dependent on medical care who are unable to give consent (4) Patient’s nominated home care provider declines to participate.
Outcome results
None listed